Diverse Paths, Common Dreams

Plenary Session: Wednesday, April 18, 2012

Awful Grace: Resiliency, Wisdom, and the Hope of Prevention
Brian Specht, Founder, Promised Land Society and Awful Grace Project, National Board Member, Prevent Child Abuse America

A victim of child abuse is given a choice they never asked for: fall into the cycle of abuse and destruction or discover the power of resiliency and path toward wisdom.  But what if that choice never had to be made?  We have the wisdom to act in ways that never force someone…especially a child…to have learn resiliency in the face of such extreme adversity.  What lessons can we learn from survivors and thrivers that can actually help us prevent child abuse and neglect from ever occurring? What stops our society from fully embracing and implementing abuse and neglect prevention on a comprehensive scale nationwide? How can we make it happen for every child? Do we have the wisdom?

Biography
Bryan Specht is a national board member and chair of the public policy and advocacy committee for Prevent Child Abuse America. He is the founder of the Promised Land Society and the Awful Grace Project, which harnesses the knowledge and wisdom of thrivers to promote and advocate for the primary prevention of child abuse and neglect. A former senior staffer in the U.S. House, Senate and at the White House, Bryan worked to advance key policies such as mental health parity legislation, the establishment of mental health courts and he negotiated the reauthorization of the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) in 2000. 

Brian was nominated to the World Economic Forum’s Young Global Leaders Forum in 2006, was an invited speaker at Chicago Mayor Richard Daley’s “Spiritual Resilience and Social Fabric Conference in 2007 and was a keynote speaker to 2,000 attendees at Prevent Child Abuse America’s national conference “2020: The Future of Prevention” plenary session in 2008. 

Brian is also a survivor of repeated physical abuse and incest as a child, which lead to addictions and disorders as a teen and young adult. He began his advocacy and policy work after entering rehab and mental health treatment paid for on his first credit card. Nearly 20 years later, he is a happy, healthy husband, father and activist.